Torn
by incoherenThought
Summary: When Lilly is attacked, Scotty comes to her defense but things only get worse from there.
1. Breakroom

**Torn**  
BY:incoherenThought

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on the series COLD CASE aired by CBS.**  
Note:** This is a random chapter that I pulled out of a file in my documents called "random". It was written forever ago (one of the first I ever started for Cold Case) and I never knew where to go with it so it got filed away and abandoned... until now. I read through it, polished it up and decided to go ahead and post it and see what the reaction was. I know exactly where I want to take the story now so I _can_ actually finish it. Let me know what you think and if I should bother writing more. Otherwise, I have about a hundred other ideas to work with and about five other stories started to work on. Have I ever mentioned I get bored easy and, therefor, jump around in plots quite often...? ;)

**Chapter One:** Breakroom

* * *

The door to the breakroom was never closed. Ever. And so when Lilly heard it shut behind her she knew she was in trouble. When she turned around to find Scotty glaring down at her she knew trouble wasn't a strong enough word.

"What happened, Lil?" he demanded.

"I already told..."

"No," he cut her off.

"What?" she asked, annoyed. She didn't see how any of this was his business anyhow.

"How stupid do you think I am? I was with you all day yesterday and you were just fine. This didn't happen on the job."

Lilly had long ago realized that makeup did not cover bruises on her face. Her skin was too pale and the makeup would need to be too dark for her complexion. It would standout and be obvious. So, she'd had no choice but to show up to work that day and hope no one would question the bruise too much. She'd underestimated her partner.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked, uselessly trying to change the subject. He just glared at her as though she were a suspect he was interrogating. "Don't look at me like that, Scotty. It's none of your business anyhow."

His eyes grew a little more gentle and he took a step nearer to her. "Someone does this to you," he said as he reached out and grabbed her chin to better examine the bruise left behind on her skin, "and it becomes my business because I happen to care."

Her own eyes grew a little softer then and she sighed as she felt defeat coming on. "My boyfriend," she informed him. "_Ex_-boyfriend."

* * *

_Lilly wasn't surprised when she answered her door to find her ex standing outside it. She was annoyed, but not surprised.__  
_

_"Why'd you lock me out, sweet thing?" He leaned in towards her and she stepped quickly back, avoiding the kiss. He smelled of booze, cigarette smoke and cheep perfume.__  
_

_"Why are you here, Titus?" she asked, angrily. It was two in the morning. She'd of ignored his knock if she hadn't been afraid a neighbor would then call the cops._

_"I came to see you, baby." He lured at her, looking her up and down, and she felt a little nauseous.__  
_

_"Get out." She tried to shut the door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. "Titus!" she warned him._

_"Come on, don't play hard to get." Lilly backed up as he slammed the door shut. He grabbed for her, with amazing speed for a guy intoxicated, and pulled her to him with both hands on her hips. She tried to pull away as he backed her up against the wall._

_"Titus," she warned again and he leaned in to kiss her. She turned her face in time to avoid the contact. "You're drunk."__  
__  
__"Always am, sweet thing," he laughed into her neck as he began kissing her there.__  
__  
__"I'm beginning to realize that," she said this more to herself and tried to push him away with both hands to his chest. She was quickly finding, however, that he was far stronger than her. "Titus, get out!"__  
__  
__It was as though he hadn't heard her. He now had her pinned to the wall with only his body as his hands roamed to places she didn't want them. "Stop, please."__  
__  
__"God," he whispered lustfully in her ear, "you're hot."__  
_

_"You're not," the words came out before she could stop them. His entire body stiffened in anger and she knew she'd made a mistake. His face pulled back to look down at her venomously.__  
__  
__Lilly saw it coming before it happened but she had no time to try and stop it. His fist pulled back and then came into hard contact with the side of her jaw. She fell to the floor, her jaw aching, and didn't even have a chance to try and stand back up before he was dragging her over to the couch. He threw her roughly down on the sofa.__  
__  
__"No," she screamed at him as she tried to jump off the couch. There was no time. He'd already laid himself down on top of her. "You have to stop this! Stop!" Her words were getting nowhere and her mind was reeling with how to get herself out of this situation.__  
__  
__Titus pulled himself up slightly, in order to reach between their bodies and undo his belt, and that's when she saw her chance. She pulled her leg loose from underneath him and jammed her knee hard between his legs. He howled out in pain and stumbled off the couch. Lilly shot up and reached for her gun resting on an end table.__  
__  
__"You bitch," he started to charge after her but stopped when he saw the gun she now had pointed right at him.__  
__  
__"Get out!"_

_

* * *

_

"And he left," Lilly finished. She was now seated at the breakroom table with Scotty across from her. She looked up at his face for the first time since starting the story and saw rage reflected back at her. But the rage, she knew, wasn't for her.

"What's his name?" Scotty demanded.

"Why?" Lilly asked.

"Because he and I... we're gonna have a little _chat_."

Lilly sighed. "Scotty, I'm a big girl. I can take care of it myself."

"Really?" he asked, disbelieving. "Because it doesn't sound like that to me." Lilly shot him a look that she knew he'd understand. He sighed. "All right. I get it. You're a strong woman. You've always taken care of yourself. You've had to. But if he comes back, Lil. If he does something to you. I can't live with that."

Lilly looked back down into her mug of coffee. She watched the steam rise off it and evaporate into the air. "I had to pull my gun on him," she whispered to her cup.

"What?" asked Scotty. He'd heard her, she knew, but he didn't understand her.

"I've never had to pull my gun on someone like that before. Because of..." She looked back up at her partner and found only understanding in his eyes. "I've had guys try and go too far with me before but I never had to use my gun to stop them."

"It's called attempted rape, Lilly," he said in a low tone. Lilly's eyes snapped back to her coffee. She didn't like that word. Not when it had anything to do with her. "He wouldn't have stopped if you hadn't had that gun. Now tell me his name."

"Titus Kent," she whispered and then met his eyes. "He's a cop, Scotty." Her partner's jaw set and she saw a whole new level of rage cross his eyes. He stood up and headed for the door. Lilly jumped from her own seat and headed after him. She stepped quickly in front of him just as he was reaching for the knob.

"Scotty," she started, "please don't do anything stupid. Okay? And you know what I mean by stupid."

"The guy is a cop!" Scotty's hand dropped away from the door and he looked over at her. "If he did this to _you_, to another _cop_... You should press charges."

Lilly almost laughed. "Charges, Scotty? Against another cop? My word against his? It'd go nowhere. There's no way to prove anything because nothing actually happened."

"He attacked you. He tried..."

"And that's all he did," pointed out Lilly. "He _tried_, but he didn't actually _do_ anything. The only evidence he left behind was a bruise and you know that doesn't _prove_ anything. I have nothing to hold against him. It would be my word against his. The only thing that would come out of me pressing charges is..."

"Humiliation," he whispered softly and she nodded. "It's not your fault. You did nothing to be humiliated over."

"I know that but it's hard enough... this job, without adding to it." Scotty reached for the knob again and Lilly placed her hand on top of his to stop him.

"Please don't do anything stupid," she requested once again, meeting his eyes. "I don't want you getting in trouble over me. I can't live with that." He nodded his understanding and she removed her hand from atop his. He turned the knob and left the room and Lilly knew he was going to do something stupid.

* * *

( Like it? Hate it? Should I continue it? Let me know... )


	2. Arrested

**Torn**  
BY:incoherenThought

**Note:** The response I got from the first chapter was just amazing! It was far better than I ever expected and I can't thank you enough for all the reviews you took the time to leave! They meant so much to me! I only hope I do not disappoint with this chapter...

**Chapter Two:** Arrested

* * *

Scotty reached up and knocked on the door. He waited. There was no sound from inside of the apartment and so he reached up and knocked louder. He heard a crash and then the sound of footsteps stomping heavily towards him. There was a string of curses as the door strung open and a man, that Scotty had never before seen, was standing on the other side of the threshold. The man was about two inches taller than Scotty but appeared less muscular and the detective was certain he could take him if it came down to it. And he was certain it was about to come down to it.

"Who the hell are you?" the man barked over at his unexpected visitor.

Scotty had first tried the department, where Kent worked, to find him. He had been told that Detective Kent had called in sick that day. He'd then went about looking up where he lived, which was something one wasn't actually supposed to do without a good reason for doing it, and then taken some personal hours for the day and driven out to the apartment of the man that had attacked his partner.

"Titus Kent?" Scotty asked. He'd seen a picture of Kent when at work, when he'd looked up his address, but the man before him looked disheveled and different from the stand-up cop depicted in his department photo. This man looked like someone suffering from, and getting over, a very bad hangover.

With a wide grin, that made Scotty clench his fists, the man shook his head. "Naw, buddy, that's _my _name but who the hell are _you_?"

"Scotty Valens." Scotty waited to see if the name would register any meaning to Kent. He had no idea rather or not Lilly had ever mentioned his name to this person. He didn't suspect she would have. He, after all, had never heard of Titus Kent before that very morning and seldom ever mentioned his partner's name to the girls he dated. Of course, in his case, having a partner named 'Lilly' was usually very distracting for any girl he was trying to get to know.

"That name supposed to mean something to me?" asked Kent, answering Scotty's consideration. "What the hell do you want, Scotty Valens?"

"I'm sure you've got your hangover to get back to so, I'll just get right to the point." Scotty paused and watched Kent's reaction, which was null to nothing, before he continued. "I'm here about Lilly Rush."

Kent leaned against his door frame and gave another grin. This one was a self-satisfied cocky smile that made the detective's blood boil over. "You a cop? Did that bitch press charges against me? She's the one who pulled a gun on me."

"Because you attacked her."

"That what she told you?" Kent asked, a grin still plastered to his face and it was all Scotty could do not to knock a few of his teeth out right then and there.

"You got a different story to tell?" he queried, though not really interested in anything the other man had to say because he knew his partner had not lied to him about anything she'd said.

Kent's grin widened as he nodded his head. "Yeah," he answered. "The whore wanted it."

Scotty snapped and his fist swung out and came into quick contact with the corner of Kent's mouth. Kent was forced back a few steps by the blow and his hand reached up to cup the wound, which was now dribbling blood down his chin. He glared fire-bolts at Scotty as his other hand clenched into a fist of its own.

"You wanna say that to me again?" dared Scotty as he stepped forward, crossing the threshold and entering Kent's home.

"She really did you over something good, didn't she?" the cop taunted him and then took his own swing, hitting Scotty at the side of his face. The blow barely fazed the detective and he was fast to swing back, striking Kent at the left eye, sending him off balance and knocking him off his feet. Scotty grabbed him off the floor and slammed him hard into a wall. There, he delivered a few strong punches to his stomach. Kent started to double over in pain but Scotty shoved him back against the wall.

"Who... the..." Kent struggled with the words as the wind had been knocked out of him with the blows, "hell... are you?"

"Lilly Rush is my partner," Scotty stated and he slammed his forearm under Kent's chin and pushed hard into his throat, "and if you ever go near her again then I'm coming back with my gun and I'm gonna put a bullet in your brain." Scotty stepped back and Kent slumped to the floor grasping at his neck and gasping for air. He glanced up at the Latino detective, his eyes blazing.

"You can have the little whore," he rasped. "She ain't worth it anyhow."

"That's where you're wrong," Scotty replied and then walked out of the apartment.

* * *

Lilly spotted her partner returning to the squad room a couple hours after he had left it. Her lieutenant had said something about him taking some lost hours for personal reasons. Lilly, of course, knew exactly what those personal reasons were. He'd disappeared shortly after their chat; after she'd told him what her ex had done to her the night before. He hadn't said anything to her when he'd left and he said nothing now as he hurriedly made his way towards the breakroom, avoiding anyone he passed by. Lilly stood up and headed after him.

Scotty was leaning into the fridge, hidden by the door, when she walked into the breakroom. As soon as he stood up, Lilly spotted the freshly formed bruise on the side of his face. It looked painful. It must have been painful. Scotty shut the fridge door, having pulled out an apple juice, and turned to face her. He twisted the lid off the juice and took a drink from it as he watched her, watching him.

"You should see the other guy," he finally spoke, pulling the bottle away from his lips. Lilly stepped closer to better examine the bruise. Her ex had clearly gotten in a decent hit. She turned to a drawer, opened it and pulled out a Ziploc.

"Sit down," Lilly said as she opened the freezer and pulled out an ice tray.

"What?" he asked. Lilly poured some ice cubes into the Ziploc and sealed it shut. She turned back to Scotty and gestured towards a chair at the breakroom table.

"Sit down," she repeated. With a sigh, he obeyed and she stepped in front of him.

"Lil, I'm fine," he insisted.

"It's already swollen, Scotty." Her partner winced as she placed the bag to his face and she let up gently on the pressure. "Sorry." Their eyes locked and a feeling Lilly was quite familiar with washed through her. It was a feeling she shouldn't have for this man. His eyes seemed to caress hers gently as he slowly reached up and took the Ziploc from her. Lilly stepped back and sat down at the table across from him.

"He shouldn't be bothering you anymore," Scotty said after a moment. Lilly was watching the top of the table in front of her, not really trusting herself to meet his eyes again. "If he does... pull the trigger next time and call me. Together we'll bury him along the highway or something."

Lilly smiled at this, but rolled her eyes, and finally glanced over at him. "I asked you _not_ to do anything stupid."

"Did you actually believe I wouldn't?" Lilly's answer was silence. "What that guy did to you, what he _tried_ to do to you, it warranted a hell of a lot more than what I did to him."

"Scotty..." she sighed as her words disappeared. What do you say, after all, to the cop that had just beat up another cop for you?

"You're welcome," Scotty said softly, placing the Ziploc with ice down on the table between them. Their eyes locked again and Lilly was certain she wasn't the only one with feelings she shouldn't have.

"Thank you."

* * *

Scotty was leaning back in his chair, a baseball being tossed between his hands, and staring at his partner with amusement. "Why not?" he asked, a small smile playing at his lips. Lilly leaned back in her own chair, crossing her arms over her chest and sighed.

"They worked together for five years, Scotty," she began and he only nodded. "If he were interested in her, I think it would have come out." Scotty's mouth opened to respond but then quickly shut. A flash of something, she couldn't quite read, crossed his eyes and he glanced down at the ball now sitting still in his hands.

The detective shrugged. "Maybe, but some people are good at keeping emotions bottled up. You know, if they have to."

"For five years?" she asked, smiling at her own question because both of them knew where this was really going. Her partner merely shrugged again.

"Or longer." He met her eyes and Lilly found herself trying not to look away. It was almost a challenge. Like he were daring her to deny his words.

Lilly didn't take the challenge and moved the subject forward instead. "Still doesn't mean he'd kill her... over bottled up emotions."

Scotty nodded. "I agree."

Lilly laughed. "Then what are you arguing with me for?"

"Sometimes it's fun to argue with you." His half smile made her break out into a wide grin of her own as she shook her head at him and closed shut the file on her desk.

"Anyhow," she began, standing up, "it's late and I'm going..."

"You wanna go grab dinner?" he cut her off unexpectedly, with a question that was just as unexpected.

"Dinner?" she asked. "Like, at the tavern?"

Scotty gave a face. "No, I was thinking someplace a bit nicer. Like, at a restaurant. My treat."

Lilly smiled sweetly at this. "After today, shouldn't it be my treat?"

Scotty smiled in response but then was distracted by something else as he glanced passed her and towards the entrance of the squad room. Lilly grabbed her coat off the back of her chair and began placing it on as she looked over to see what had caught her partner's attention. She spotted two uniformed officers push aside the bullpen gate and step into the squad room. They both still carried their state issued revolvers and Lilly knew that meant they were here officially and they were headed in the direction of the two homicide detectives. A sinking feeling came over her as Lilly realized they weren't here for a case.

"Scotty Valens?" asked one of them as he neared the detective.

"Yeah," Scotty nodded his affirmation.

"I'm Officer Hayden. This is Officer Jelks. I'm going to have to ask you to stand up, sir."

Scotty only leaned further back in his chair. "And why is that?" he asked.

"Please, sir, would you stand up?" Jelks spoke and Lilly glanced around the squad room as if searching for help. No one was there. Only a few scattered cops that she barely knew and the lieutenant's office stood dark.

"Maybe if you told me what the hell is going on," Scotty's voice was verging on fury and Lilly's eyes snapped back to him. He knew, of course, as well as she did, what was going on.

The two officers shared a glance, it was a glance that said they had worked together long enough and dealt with this before, and then the first officer looked back at Scotty and gave the answer Lilly was dreading. "We're here to place you under arrest, sir. Could you please stand up?"

"Under arrest for what?" Lilly demanded, already knowing the answer, but it was all she could think to say. Scotty was standing up.

"For the assault of Titus Kent," Officer Jelks answered as he turned Scotty around and began placing steel cuffs over his wrists.

"A police officer," Hayden offered, as his partner began reading Scotty his official rights.

"Yeah," she said bluntly, "I know who Titus is."

"Lil," Scotty spoke gently, ignoring the rights being read to him, "it's okay."

"No," she shook her head insistently, "this _isn't_ okay. Nothing about this is _okay_." Her voice cracked and Lilly had to swallow to keep away the tears threatening to overcome her. Scotty's eyes were soft with concern and that only made her feel more guilty. "This isn't okay."

"Just remember that _I_ did this, Lil," he informed her as gently as he'd spoken before. "This ain't on you." The two officers began leading him out of the squad room as Lilly desperately searched her brain for something, anything at all, that she could do. But, she knew, there was nothing.

"Would you just wait!" Lilly demanded, stepping suddenly in front of her partner and forcing them to stop. "Scotty, I'm gonna talk with Titus. I'll get these charges dropped."

"Don't," he said, his voice now firm. "I don't want you going near him."

She shook her head sadly. "This is my fault. I'm gonna fix it."

"Ain't your fault, Lil."

"I'm sorry," Hayden interrupted, "but we have to go."

Lilly nodded as a tear finally escaped down her cheek. She stepped out of the way and allowed them to pass. As she watched her partner being led out of his own squad room in handcuffs a whole new anger engulfed her for the man that had done this to both of them. She wondered, what the hell had she seen in him in the first place? False charm, she supposed, and he'd been very good at it for a while there. Angrily, she wiped away another tear as it fell and reached into a pocket to pull out her cell phone. Without hesitation, she began dialing in a number.


	3. Confession

**Torn**  
BY:incoherenThought

**Note:** Thank you for your continued reviews! It's great knowing this story is being read and enjoyed!

**Chapter Three:** Confession

* * *

Lilly sighed and pulled her cell phone out of a pocket. Her lieutenant was calling again and it was about the twelfth time that morning he had done so, or attempted to do so. She silenced the phone and placed it back into her pocket and spotted the man she had come here to speak with. He was headed in her direction and completely oblivious of her being there. She had been waiting outside Philly PD for him all morning. Scotty had asked that she stay away from him and she had wanted to heed that request but, she knew, she couldn't. Titus Kent was her best way of getting the charges against her partner dropped.

With silent encouragement to herself, Lilly began walking towards Kent with a purposeful intent in her stride. As she neared him, she spotted the bruises her partner had left behind on his face and was silently satisfied with the results. Scotty had been right, the other guy looked worse. Kent slowed his pace suddenly, having noticed her coming towards him, and grinned. Lilly's jaw tightened at this grin. She knew it well. Always cocky and always self-centered. When she saw him wince, at the pain his split-lip must have caused, she couldn't help the smile the spread across her own face. It was good to see him suffer.

"That looks like it hurt," she commented, indicating his bruised face in general, as they stepped before each other. Kent reached up and gently touched the bruise at his eye with two fingers and shrugged.

"Not so bad," he commented and dropped his hand. "You come to get back with me?"

Lilly scoffed at this suggestion, knowing he wasn't serious but still finding it vile. "I've come to tell you, if you don't drop the charges against my partner then I'll be bringing charges against you."

Kent grinned, though it was a lesser one than before. "I'm not the one who pressed the charges, baby. That's all on the DA."

"And you giving them your statement had nothing to do with it?"

He shrugged. "Probably did but it's not like everybody doesn't know about your partner and his temper."

Lilly suddenly had the urge to add to his bruises. "Maybe I'll give the DA a statement of my own, Titus," she said instead.

"That'll probably go over great," he mocked in earnest. "Considering..." Lilly knew, he was likely right. Her coming forward with accusations of an attack after her partner had been charged for assault on a police officer wouldn't look very trustworthy to many judges. It would look like she were defending her partner. It could even be thrown out as complete fabrication.

"I think I'll take my chances," she said anyway, "at how well it will or won't go over. Maybe we'll even see how the guys you work with like the way you treat your girlfriends." His face grew furious and, she knew, she'd hit a chord. He stepped closer to her, trying to appear intimidating, and Lilly didn't even flinch as she stood her ground unmoving.

"Nobody is going to believe you, you bitch," he spat back at her.

"Just get the charges dropped," Lilly spoke in the best threatening tone she could muster up, "and we'll never have to find out." She turned away from him and began to walk off but Kent grabbed at her arm and pulled her back towards him.

"There's another thing you could do," he said in a low and telling tone. He licked his lips and looked her up and down. Lilly tried to pull away but he only brought her closer. "Then, I'll get those charges dropped."

"You're sick," she said and managed to pull her arm away, "and that's never going to happen."

"Not even for your partner?" The female detective walked away but never did answer his question.

* * *

Lilly took in a deep breath, preparing herself for the onslaught she was about to face, and knocked on the door before her. She'd managed to avoid her three colleagues, one of them was in the breakroom and the other two were out on an interview concerning the squad's current Cold Case, but there was no way of avoiding the inevitable conversation she'd have to share with her boss. From the other side of the glass door, Stillman's head shot up and looked in her direction. His eyes looked like they could melt metal as he gestured her inside.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded the moment the door had opened only a fraction of an inch. "I've been calling you all morning."

Lilly stepped inside and, without having to be told to do so, shut the door behind her. She took a seat in front of the lieutenant's desk and willed herself to meet his gaze. "I know," she admitted softly.

"You know?" he asked sternly and was clearly annoyed with this answer. "I show up to work this morning and my phone is ringing off the hook. I got the chief on the line, IAD, the DA and all of them are telling me the same thing. It seems that last night one of my detectives was arrested for the assault of another police officer. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Lilly gave him a telling look and the lieutenant heaved a deep sigh. "What the hell happened?"

"The man Scotty... _attacked_ is Titus Kent."

Stillman nodded. "Somewhere during the verbal ass-whipping the chief gave me, I got that information."

Lilly took in a deep breath before continuing, "I was dating him, for a time, and a few nights ago I broke it off with him. Only, the night before last, he shows up at my door and..."

Stillman sat forward in his chair. "What did he do?" he encouraged her gently, if a bit urgently, when she didn't continue on her own.

"He forced his way into my house and he... he attacked me. He..." She met her lieutenant's eyes and saw that he understood what it was she was telling him. She was relieved because she didn't really want to go into further detail. It had been hard enough with Scotty. "I got to my gun and I made him leave before things got too far."

"Is he the one who left you with that bruise?" asked Stillman and Lilly nodded her answer. "And Scotty figured it out?"

"He cornered me in the breakroom and made me confess." She offered a smile but it faded quickly. "Scotty was only trying to help me. He went after Titus to ensure that Titus didn't come after me again. He was just trying to help me."

"Beating up a cop," began Stillman, disapprovingly, "that's his idea of help?"

"I wish I could take it back. I wish I had never told him. I knew his temper and a part of me knew what he would do; another part of me... wanted him to do it."

"You wanted to make sure Kent didn't come back," Stillman said and there was no question in his words but Lilly nodded anyhow.

"I though Scotty would scare him but I never thought it would go this far. I never thought Titus would have the nerve to press charges."

"This is bad, Lil," Stillman said, pinching the bridge of his nose and the detective could imagine the migraine he must have coming on. "This is very bad."

"I know," Lilly began. "I spoke with Titus; I threatened to bring my own charges against him if he didn't get the charges on Scotty dropped."

Her boss gave her a knowing look. "And how did that go?"

"He practically laughed in my face. He was right. I have nothing against him. It would just look like I was protecting my partner."

"Which you would be," he pointed out.

"Yes, but I'd be telling the truth and... Scotty didn't just wake up one day and decide to go out and beat up a cop." Stillman remained silent; his eyes saying that he understood but that didn't mean a judge would. "I can't believe these charges are actually gonna go anywhere."

"IAD is pushing the charges." Lilly scoffed at this. She'd expect nothing less of them. It wasn't like they had a good history with her partner. "And the DA is moving to arraign... soon."

"I know you've got to be in a lot of heat over this but," Lilly paused, uncertain but desperate, "is there anything you can do for him? Any strings you can pull; maybe a favor someone owes; anything?" Lilly swallowed, willing unshed tears to keep in check, and waited for her lieutenant's response.

"I'm gonna look into a few things," Stillman spoke after a moment. "You are willing to testify, right?"

"Oh course and I intend to if it comes down to it." Stillman nodded and Lilly, knowing their conversation was over, stood to leave the office.

"Where are you going now?" he asked and she looked back at him as she reached the door.

"To try and pull a few stings of my own."

* * *

Lilly spotted him immediately as he stepped out of a side-door and into the main hallway of the city courthouse. The courthouse was bustling with people coming and going; lawyers carrying suitcases; clients wearing suites they didn't look at all comfortable in. It was a daily charade here that Lilly was all to familiar with. But, today, she wasn't here to be a part of the normal charade. However, she was here to see a lawyer and that lawyer had just caught site of her.

"Hi, Kite," she offered the words as a weak greeting. It had been some time since she'd seen Kite and even longer since she'd worked with him to any major extent.

"I told you last night over the phone," the ADA began, skipping all pleasantries, "that it's not my case."

"But you know who's case it is," it wasn't a question because she didn't need to ask. There were only so many ADA's in the city and, after a while, they all tended to know each other. Maybe not as friends but certainly as acquaintances.

Kite sighed but nodded. "I know her."

"Then... you can talk with her." Lilly smiled sweetly as she attempted to play off of the charm that had once worked so well against this man. But, that had been a long time ago, and even Lilly could feel that charm had faded, at least, against him.

"Look, Rush," he began, "the DA isn't going to go easy on a city detective beating up another city detective."

Her shoulders slumped as she diverted his gaze. "He did it for me," she whispered and Kite stepped closer to her.

"Excuse me?" he asked and she met his eyes again. She sighed.

"He did it for me, Kite. He beat him up for me." Kite seemed to think about this for a moment and then, slowly, he nodded understanding and gestured Lilly in a direction to their left. She followed him into an empty mediation room. There was a long table at the center with chairs lined up on either side of it. The table was mahogany and the chairs were cushioned. It reminded the female detective of a fancy interrogation room with a window. She walked over to that window and stared down at the city below it.

"What happened?" Kite asked her after a moment and Lilly continued watching the street below as she relayed to him her story. She didn't tell him the short version as she had earlier told her lieutenant. She told to him the long version; the one she had told her partner that had made him so angry that this whole mess had begun in the first place. When she was finished, she looked back and found the ADA watching her. His expression was of mixed emotion but, mostly, he seemed to be intent on a single thought.

"What?" she asked him when he failed to say anything.

"Titus Kent," the ADA finally spoke. "You say his name is Titus Kent?"

Lilly nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"I know that name," Kite responded and turned to leave the room. Lilly was confused.

"What do you mean, you know that name?" Lilly asked as she hurried after the lawyer. "He's a cop. I'm not surprised you'd know it."

"No," Kite shook his head, "it's not that." He stopped at the door and turned to face her. "I know it from something else. I'll need to get back to you, though, okay?"

Lilly sighed and her shoulders slumped in disappointment but she nodded. "Okay."

Lawyer and detective stepped back out into the busy hallway and, before Lilly had the chance to walk away, Kite turned to face her once more. His eyes seemed determined of something as they locked with her own. "This guy," he began, "Titus Kent, you'd do good to stay away from him. He's... Just stay away from him, Lilly." Before she could question him further, Kite had continued passed her and disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

**EndNote:** Wow! an entire chapter without Scotty Valens! I didn't even know I was capable of that. ;) I hope this wasn't boring. I enjoyed writing it but, at the same time, it felt kind of like it could be one of those boring chapters to actually read. Of course that could be due to Scotty's absence. Things are never as fun without him around. Anyhow, I hope it wasn't boring! Let me know! I love hearing from you! =)


	4. Obsession

**Torn  
**BY:incoherenThought

**Chapter Four:** Obsession

* * *

Stillman double checked the address before walking up the short path to the front door. He knocked and waited. It was three in the afternoon and there was no guarantee anyone would be home but a sudden noise from inside told him that someone was. The door creaked as it swung open and revealed to Stillman a young woman with blond hair and a child in her arms.

The lieutenant lifted his badge to identify himself to this woman. "Lieutenant Stillman," he introduced aloud and pocketed the badge. "Are you Hailey Piers?"

The woman before him nodded but seemed unsure of the situation as she hefted the child further up in her arms. "Yeah. Am I in some kind of trouble?"

Stillman shook his head. "No trouble. I'd just like to ask you a few questions about Titus Kent."

Her eyes went wide and she began shaking her head intensely. "No. I'm done with him. He said he'd leave us alone." She began to shut the door but the homicide lieutenant stepped forward before she could and gently held it open. He didn't want to scare her but he had to question her.

"I'm not here _for_ Titus Kent," he tried assuring her. "I just need to get some information about him that I'm pretty sure you can help me with." The truth was Stillman hadn't known whether talking with her would be any help at all but he had followed a detective's instinct and found her anyways. And now, from the reaction he was already getting out of her, it was clear some kind of information would be had.

Hailey paused and looked at him uncertainly. Then, looked to the child in her arms. Finally, she nodded her head. "He said he'd leave us alone," she repeated softly and stepped aside for the lieutenant to enter her house. He did and found himself in a small living room. Hailey walked over and placed the child, blond hair and a boy Stillman believed, into a playpen against one of the living room walls.

"What has he done?" she asked as she sat down on a couch and began fidgeting with a remote control for the television. The homicide lieutenant sat down in a chair across from her. It was obvious she wasn't surprised Titus had dome _something_.

"He attacked a woman he was dating," Stillman answered her question. It was the best response he could think up and it was in no way a lie.

"Blond, right?" Hailey asked with a smirk and she dropped the remote control to the coffee table. "He likes them blond." She never waited for a response. "I met Titus when I was working at Jones Tavern." The lieutenant nodded; this is how he had found her in the first place. "He seemed real sweet at first but then..."

"But then what?" encouraged Stillman when she didn't continue.

"He became a monster," she continued. "It was mostly when he was drinking and he was drinking all the time. He became abusive and controlling and... I broke up with him but it was like he wasn't even there when I did it. He kept acting like we were still dating. He'd show up at my house and he'd call and ask me to go places with him. I'd ignore him but he'd keep showing up. I swapped jobs and he found me and started showing up at my new job. He sent me cards and text messages and... One night, he shows up here at near one in the morning. I didn't answer the door but he got in anyway... I think he had a key. I don't know how he got a key." Hailey met eyes with Stillman then. She seemed to be pleading for him to believe her and the lieutenant nodded his head assuredly.

"What happened that night?" he asked her gently. He was now beginning to think that perhaps bringing Miller along with him would have been a good idea.

"Nothing," Hailey admitted after a moment. "I mean, he tried and... but I told him I was pregnant." She then looked to the baby who was falling asleep at the bottom of his playpen. "He started raving about how he wasn't going to be taking care of an illegitimate child and I told him he didn't have to. I just wanted him to leave us alone. I said I'd sign any papers he wanted me to so I could prove I wouldn't go after him for anything. He left after that and he never came back."

"And you never reported any of this to anyone?" asked Stillman.

Hailey shook her head insistently. "I wouldn't have dared. I don't want that man near my baby and I was afraid he might..." She looked back over to her sleeping child and Stillman understood the rest.

* * *

Scotty pulled open the door and found his partner staring back at him. Her eyes sparkled with blue brilliance and her blond hair shinned in the artificial lighting of the hallway outside his door and he believed there wasn't a better site he could behold at that moment. But, then, he noticed the depth of sadness within her and realized, with an aching pain of his own, that his stupid act of macho revenge had caused her both that sadness and the guilt that sat on top of it.

"Hey," she spoke softly and he offered her a small, if weak, smile.

"Hey," he parroted. She took in a breath and looked down to the floor between them.

"Scotty..." He knew what came next in the silence that followed and the words that weren't spoken. She was sorry for all that he had been through but, mostly, she was sorry for being the cause of it. He didn't blame her, not a bit, and he wasn't sorry. He'd do it all over again if it came down to it. If it came down to it, he'd do far worse.

He took a step forward and, in a very unprofessional gesture, lifted a hand and rested it at the back of her neck. This movement forced her head up and her eyes to meet his. "I did what I did and you didn't force my hand."

She seemed about to say something, but then changed her mind, and bit at her bottom lip instead. After a moment, she finally spoke. "Kite," she began and, at the mention of that name, the moment changed and Scotty dropped his hand from her neck, "called and said you'd been released."

The male detective nodded. "On my own recognizance. I'm to appear for arraignment next Friday; should that date change, they'll be sure to let me know." His words were dripping with sarcasm. He stepped aside and gestured for his partner to enter. She did and he shut the door behind them and followed her into his living room. He took a seat at his couch. She remained standing, looking a bit uncomfortable, at the center of his living room.

"You could sit," he suggested.

"Kite said he recognized Titus' name," she ignored him and Scotty sat a little forward at her words.

"Recognized it," he said, "how?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "but it didn't have to do with him being a cop, and he warned me to stay away from him."

"Good warning," Scotty pointed out, obviously. Lilly stepped over to the couch and sat down, leaving a foot of space between them.

"Maybe there's something there, you know? Maybe he's done something before."

"Wouldn't surprise me," he said. "Sex offenders rarely strike just once."

"He's not a _sex_ offender," Lilly defended, looking down at her hands. Scotty blinked over at her. He understood her reluctance but still found her denial surprising.

"You gonna deny what he tried to do to you?"

His partner shook her head. "No, of course not. I just... I've never been in that situation before."

"I get it," he assured her gently.

"I hate this," she whispered to her hands and Scotty suddenly placed his own hand atop one of hers. She didn't flinch and she didn't move her hand away but she did finally meet his gaze again. Her eyes were brimming with tears unshed. "I really know how to pick 'em, don't I?"

"You couldn't have known who he'd turn out to be." Scotty uncharacteristically brushed aside part of Lilly's bangs, parting them at the center, and realized he was no longer seeing her as just a partner, or even just a friend. He dropped his hand and was surprised she hadn't pulled away. "This ain't your fault. None of this is your fault."

"You might lose your job, Scotty."

"And I knew that," he said and she looked at him skeptically. "It wouldn't be the first time I've nearly lost my job due to my temper."

"This time is worse."

Scotty nodded. "I know. It'll also be the most worth it."

"What'll you do?" she asked.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll start my own PI business."

"PI?" Lilly sounded skeptical and even a bit humored.

"I could be a PI," Scotty defended, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. His partner laughed and the sound was beautiful. As well as the smile that came with it.

"Of course you could, Scotty." Silence settled over them before Lilly finally started to stand back up. "I should go. I'm sure you're tired of me by now." Scotty didn't believe he could ever grow tired of this woman.

"You're a detective, Lil," he said and she sat back down. "You're not a psychic. You couldn't have known."

"I think all the good ones _are_ taken," Lilly said and in her words a hint of vulnerability was exposed for Scotty to either embrace or ignore. He was deciding which way to go when she continued and said something that would really leave the ball in his court. "Or my partner."

Scotty blinked, certain he had only misheard her but knew he hadn't. He tried telling himself it meant nothing but something in her eyes was telling him it meant something. He wasn't sure what to do about it. The ball was with him and she'd opened herself up to him completely. He could pretend it was a joke and he could break her heart doing so. They had played this game for years. A flirtatious line, a question asked without an answer given. A few long nights at Jones and too much to drink. But it had always been a game and their professional sides had always won over desire and attraction. Was this more than the usual game?

Scotty decided it was and he placed a hand atop hers and soon their lips were drawing nearer to each other. He didn't know who moved first but their bodied suddenly had no space between them on the couch. He moved his hand from hers to the back of her head and their lips dangled millimeters from each other. He swallowed, knowing he desperately wanted to taste her and that she wanted the same thing or she would have been gone by then. Their lips brushed together and for a brief second a spark was ignited. Then her cellphone rang and Lilly pulled away and Scotty cursed silently to himself.

"It's Stillman," Lilly, who had already pulled out her cellphone like nothing had just happened, said to him. Of course it was, thought the detective as he stood from the couch and walked over to a window. Who else would call, at that moment, to remind the always professional Lilly Rush who they really were and what they should not be doing together?

Scotty didn't pay attention to Lilly's end of the conversation as she spoke to their boss. His head was far too busy deciding what to do when she hung up that phone. Should he play the denial game? Should he pretend like it was only a moment of vulnerability on both their parts? Did he want to play the denial game? That was really more Lilly's thing than his. He'd never been the type to deny his feelings. Not once in his life had he backed down from a woman he cared so deeply for. So why, with this woman, was he so damned scared to try and move forward?

"Boss found an ex-girlfriend of Titus'," Lilly said, interrupting his thoughts and sounding every bit like nothing had just occurred between the two of them. Scotty cursed again to himself as he turned away from the window to face his partner. Maybe it was for the best. They were partners.

"What she have to say?" Scotty asked, trying to sound normal. He could only hope it was working.

"She told boss Titus became abusive, mostly while he was drinking, and when she broke it off with him he started stalking her." Scotty nodded for her to continue when she didn't. Lilly sighed. "One night he showed up at her house and attacked her."

Scotty's eyes opened a little wider. That was a pattern. "Did he rape her?"

Lilly shook her head. "No, because she told him she was pregnant and he stopped and started ranting about not wanting to take care of a baby."

"Was she pregnant?" Scotty asked the obvious question.

"Yes, he's apparently got a son."

The male detective thought for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath of air before asking, "Does that bother you?"

"No," Lilly answered while shaking her head. "I wasn't in love with him or anything. It's just... one more thing I missed."

"Well, come on, Lil," began Scotty, "I could have a kid and you wouldn't know it if I'd never told you."

"_Do_ you have a kid, Scotty?" she questioned, a smile behind the words.

"No," he shook his head, then thought for a moment before adding, "at least not one I know about."

Lilly laughed and stood up from his couch. Scotty immediately moved to intercept her but she was quickly heading for his door. "I gotta go, Scotty."

"Lil..."

"Scotty," she turned to face him, her eyes telling him what her words couldn't, "I gotta go."

He wanted to pull her out of denial. He wanted to remind her of what had just happened by kissing her again and without interruption this time. But even he didn't know if it was the right thing to do so, he didn't. He let her go. He let her walk out of his apartment and away from the things that had almost changed between them. But he couldn't forget that moment and the moment that had almost been but got away from them.

* * *

(: Thank you for reading and thanks to those who left a review behind with the last chapter! I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on this chapter also! :)


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